MHesse

Yaay. Umm. Good. <--(sound effects to go with the photos and descriptions) 12 hours later, but still thinking about (and digesting) the meal. Thanks to Suvir for making this happen and to all the helpers. Nice to meet you all in person, hope to do it again soon. Very hard to pick a favorite item...don't think I will. I liked them all. Will be having difficulty re-adjusting to "normal" diet. Fortunately full enough such that I don't need to worry about that until tomorrow. --Mark

I may be sent to Inchon for a week's trip in the near future. I have yet to do any research, so I know nothing about Korea at all except for M*A*S*H references, and that's not real life. I'm visiting a refinery in Inchon, but hopefully will have time for some sightseeing and dining while I'm there. Any recs? Any advice on customs, or warnings on what to avoid (water, etc?) thanks, --Mark

re Name Tags, since we're almost up to a bottle of beverage per person, perhaps the name tags should have our bottle instead of our name or avatar just call me Taylor Fladgate (sounds distinquished actually) --Mark (afraid that people will really call him Fladgate)

Just read Steven's latest coffee roasting post... Getting even fair coffee while dining out is difficult, even at many fine restauarants. And there's relatively no chance of having freshly ground, freshly roasted beans used to start that restaurant coffee cup with. What will you be washing down your desserts with? --Mark

I am looking forward to both this meal and to meeting the various e-Gulleteers. Not wanting to show up empty handed at my first eG-event, I will bring some port to help wind down the eveing. (though from the reviews I've read of previous events, I might fade before the rest of you wind down!)Might not be enough for 40 people in the bottle, but it seems like 40 bottles of whatever should take care of 40 people. See you soon, Mark

I'd like to attend also. Time to meet some of you. I'll go with the majority for the date. I work in White Plains, so I can't be anywhere in NYC till 7ish, but I don't think that presents a problem to this group. Weekends fine with me also.

I can think of a couple possibilities for salami slicing that haven't been discussed yet, probably because these devices aren't designed for food. Carpentry approach: On "This Old House" I've watched Norm cut very thin slices of wood using a type of miter box for wood joinery. There's a frame or box that holds the piece of wood (meat) and then a very sharp blade that makes the cut. (great for close fitting picture frames, cabinet moldings or sandwiches). Angle of the cut variable from 0 (across the width) to 90 (along the length). If this is too much, perhaps you could clamp the meat in a vise and attack it with a box plane. Either way, cheaper than a slicing machine, but probably not cheaper than that $80 knife. Medical Approach: There is a device caled a microtome. One takes a tissue sample and mounts it in a medium that sets up as a gel or solid. The "cast" is put into the microtome which can cut a slice thin enough to examine under a microscope. I think there are non-medical applications too (moon rocks, tree samples, etc). May not be practical for a quick 4am slice or even at all for edible applications, but nothing except maybe a laser will get you a thinner slice. Probably much more expensive than a slicing machine.

Soft boiled egg - in an egg cup. My mother spent a number of years in England after leaving Germany before WWII. Evidently she learned this method of eating hen fruit over there. I always had a problem with that gloopy liquid transparent insufficiently cooked egg white.

I walked by the place on 72nd yesterday; it is still Dallas BBQ, but the Dallas is in very small print, such that if one was driving by or on the opposite side of the street, you would think it was just BBQ. And a 3rd confirmation that the place across the street was Sidewalkers. I once had medallions of alligator there. Tasted like chicken BBQ still seems popular. It gets a lot of business from uptown and I see charter busses parked outside too. The other side of the street seems to be a jinxed location for restaurants, with none getting enough business. Sambuca has been around for a while now, but I don't think it's as popular as it used to be.

I can start snacking about 30 minutes after breakfast if I don't watch myself. Favorite time is after dinner though. Consume about 6-10 no sugar added ice pops a night. Key is to set a stopping time and brush teeth. --mh

Shellfish and crustacean injuries: Cut fingers and knuckles from unskilled handling of lobsters and crawfish. Near misses with champagne corks. Does washing dishes count? (probably not) 15 stitches on palm and pinky finger when a glass broke while washing the inside with a vigorous circular motion. --mh

I just returned from a vacation in LA. I stayed in Venice, so most of my eating took place there with several side trips. Here's a number of places I visited: Chinois (Main Street, Venice). An excellent meal from start to finish. Good service, wonderful apps, entrees and desserts. Two selections of each enough for 3 people. Interesting decor, but crowded room discouraged walking around to see it all. La Veracchia (also Main St). About a block north and across the street from Chinois. Good Italian restaurant, though not the place one would go for a special meal. Packed with patrons early Sat night. The Omellette House on Main. Very nice lunch had there. I had a tuna/raisin sandwich that was very tasty. Lilly's (Abbott Kinney, Venice). I always enjoy my meals at this French restaurant. This visit was another good experience. Red snapper special was very good. Had a '98 Cab by the glass. Love their profiteroles. La Cabana (Rose and Lincoln, Venice). My friend thinks this is a great Mexican restaurant (foodwise). It was good, the tortillas were fresh, and the margaritas cold. We were there for lunch. It's open till 3am. Dukes. (Sunset Blvd, Hollywood). Touristy breakfast place. Good fresh grapefruit juice. Good cinnamon swirl french toast. Dukes (PCH, Malibu). Two places named Dukes in one day. This one on the beach side of the highway. Only a very small outdoor area, unlike Gladstones, but a nice indoor area around the bar with the Pacific Ocean right outside the window. Just there for drinks and apps, but the menu looked okay. And we got right in at 2pm on Sunday with no wait; at Gladstones we would have waited a while for an outside table. ZaZen (Washington St, Venice). Outdoor tables, so we could bring Luigi the bulldog - he could give Momo some competition. Interesting looking menu, but disappointing food. A great sushi place in the valley. Will need to get back to you with the name. We passed a place called "The Inn of the Seventh Ray" on Topanga Canyon Road. My friend says it's a romantic spot and very good. I'd like to try it next time. Opinions? --mh

My wife makes a tasty brisket that has a bottle of beer added to it during the cooking process. Haven't documented final result vs brand of beer. Tastes good even with non-descript American beer. I think lots of brisket recipes call for beer - as an ingredient - though it's a good beverage with brisket too.

UPN (Channel 9) in NYC broadcast "Iron Chef USA" tonight after their Enterprise (TV Star Trek V). I'm sure the timing was no coincidence as William Shatner (Captain Kirk), fatter than ever, but with perhaps with his own hair or an age-appropriate toupee is the Chairman of the US's Kitchen Arena in Vegas. It was a larf, a bad American copy of the Japanese version. The announcers in the balcony wore horrid mustard colored jackets not seen since the early days of Monday Night football. Cissy Biggers a total waste as the roving floor commentater. (sic) The judges included a portly comedian who probably earns a living in a corner of Hollywood Squares, a playboy bunny, and two young TV personalities (stars would b a stretch). Tonight's match featured Iron Chef USA Todd English vs. Kerry Iforgethisnamerightnow. Suprise ingredient was Dungeness crab. The dishes they prepared actually were interesting. I hope the TV rays dissipate before they can be seen by the Vulcans.

Ernie's (on Broadway just north of the Beacon) is acceptable. Also, City Grill on Columbus 'tween 73 and 74 (or is it 72 and 73?) is also ok. --mh

The Petrossian Teaser consisted of about nine little helpings of apps arranged on a silvery tray. Each was about the size of a half dollar coin. The waiter described each one, but not all the info made it into retreivable memory. There was a salmon beggar's purse, a foie gras, a fish roe, smoked herring, smoked salmon, paddlefish roe on another fish, a couple of fish puree's on bread disks, well that's seven of them anyway. Served with toast points. I found that except for the strongest flavored apps like the herring, the toast point diluted / hid the flavor of the app, particularly the foie gras.

Dinner went off as scheduled and was very nice. Sturgeon must be rarer and more endangered every day. I was going to spring for the "Prince Gourmet" three caviar presentation (15 grams each) which is shown on the restaurant's website for ๠. The actual menu price was 贘, so we decided to pass. I had the Petrossian Teaser app, which seemed to be a good way to taste a number of the offerings. For apps, the menu was arranged into classic and modern divisions. For entrees, I had Black Sea Bass and my wife had the Lobster. Both were very tasty (yes I realize this imparts not much info to you cognosceti, but the best I can do). What did strike my palate were the sauces, which had more spice to them than I'm used to tasting with French cuisine. The bass had a spicy tomato confit atop it and the lobster was served in a sauce based on a veal or beef stock rather than a fish stock. No mention of Blin. Dessets were good too, but absent from the menu were all the ones discussed earlier on this thread. No Yablonk, no Pain Perdu, no Blinchick, no Aracaju. I had the Millefeuille: puff pastry, custard, borbon ice cream in a tall glass. My wife had a dark chocolate Marquise, a pyramid of dark chocolate sitting in a pool of citrus pieces and syrup. Coffee was awful. Why do so many fine restaurants serve crap for coffee? At least it was hot. Still was a very pleasant dinner and we would go back again. Service was fine. Seating was comfortable. Quiet ambience (perhaps because it was less than full - we sat down at 6pm).

Dinner for two at Petrossian coming up next week (2/5). My first visit there. Is a caviar menu item and an iced vodka an essential part of the experience, or would we be happy with other appetizer/entree/dessert? Any recommendations welcome. Thanks in advance, --Mark

For home consumption we use fresh ground coffee from the Sensuous Bean. Was about to say french roast, but I just checked the fridge and the bag says italian. Guess I failed a taste test recently without knowing it. ;) I think I replied to an older thread once before about very ordinary to poor quality coffee served at very fine restaurants in NYC. Not only is it probably american roast perked from a 5 pound can, but the coffee pot isn't cleaned well either. I once read a Science Fiction novel, "The Mote in God's Eye" in which the quality of coffee was a minor subplot. Cleanliness of the brewing equipment was very important, even in the Imperial Space Navy! Last year in Charleston SC I had one of my better coffee at dinner experiences. Served in a french press at the table. --mh (Edited by MHesse at 11:11 pm on Sep. 24, 2001)

The restaurant in the Royalton Hotel (44 W 44th?) has a very interesting mens bathroom. It's all mirrors with no visible plumbing except for a sink. Don't pee in the sink though! Look at the floor and you will see a small area of grating along one wall. Aproach that wall. A waterfall commences to flow down the wall. You've found the urinal! A toilet is also in there, hidden behind another mirrored panel. Worth a visit. Interesting customer mix in the restaurant and lounge too.

My pet peeve is bad coffee. So many fine restaurants serve incredibly mediocre coffee. Is it so hard to clean the coffee pot regularly? Or buy fresh coffee beans instead of popping open a mass produced, pre-ground tin? Apparently so. I like coffee with desert at the end of a meal. But perhaps I should just switch to port. sigh